Description

Bring the Outside In - Course Technology Computing Conference

Presenter: Jaci Lee Lederman, Vincennes University

Flipped, Collaborative, Creative, Fast, in the Cloud. Is this describing today's latest classroom trends, or working with Information Technology in the year 2014? The answer is “both”! Recently new to the world of academia, Jaci Lee Lederman has worked diligently to "bring the outside in". Reflecting on her 20 year career in Information Technology, it became clear that the Information Technology classrooms needed to mimic the outside world of work more closely in order for students to be successful. The teaching methodologies need to be converged, so that students understand how to learn and work as they would when they get out there on the job. End of Chapter Questions are nice, but do they build skills that would be used on the job? What is needed is the ability to be resourceful, troubleshoot, think logically, and collaborate with others to find solutions. Bringing the outside world of IT into the classroom is a way to converge learning outcomes with technology that is actually used in industry-leading organizations. Instructors have a surplus of resources for learning that go beyond the standard lecture format. The challenge is to narrow down the list of options and select tools that mimic the world outside our classroom. Finding tools that bridge the gap between our traditional resource materials and industry accepted tools will help create a learning environment where students are challenged as they will be on the job. This presentation/lecture will demonstrate tools and techniques to help instructors transform their classroom into a real world “learning by working” environment. Those attending this lecture will: learn how the Flipped Classroom environment mimics the work environment; understand the added value given to students when tools used in the classroom are used in industry organizations; learn how to collaborate and network with organizations outside of the classroom, to find out what is going on out there in industry; take away ideas for converging learning objectives with technology tools; learn about new course curriculum developed at Vincennes University that is flipped, collaborative, in the cloud, and fun! ; and see how to converge tools such as: freeconferncecall.com, Skype, ERP software, lucidchart, balsalmiq, Google drive, w3schools.com, wix.com, zohoprojects.com, and the latest MS Office suite, into the classroom.

Bring the Outside In! • In this presentation you will learn about a new course developed at Vincennes University that is flipped, collaborative, in the cloud(as much as possible), and fun! – How To: • Create a learning environment where students are challenged as they will be on the job. • Use tech tools to help transform classrooms into “learning by working” environments. • Engage students by bringing more of the outside world into the classroom. • 200 level course - Managing Business with Computers

Bring the Outside In! • Outside, out and Inside, in – 1.) Sometimes we want to keep what’s outside of the classroom out: social media-twitter, instagram, Facebook, YouTube, multitasking, megatasking… • We do this because we think it is distracting!

Bring the Outside In! • Outside, out and Inside, in – 2.) Other times we don’t know what is out there… –Or, it can be a little scary out there!

BRING THE OUTSIDE IN! This forces us to…

Bring the Outside In! • Ask students to turn it off… – Expect students to turn all the distractions off when they come into the classroom. – Expect students to learn in a way that is foreign to them.

Bring the Outside In! • We have to bring the outside in because: – 1.) Our students live out there! – 2.) Our students have become accustom to learning in this outside world environment. – 3.) Out there is where our students will be working some day. – 4. There is some awesome “stuff” out there!

Bring the Outside In! • 3.) Flip the Classroom! – "The flipped classroom is a pedagogical model in which the typical lecture and homework elements of a course are reversed. Short video lectures are viewed by students at home before the class session, while in-class time is devoted to exercises, projects, or discussions. (Educause, 2012) – Get a YouTube channel. – Record short videos covering MAIN points. – Devote classroom time getting to KNOW Your STUDENTS and working WITH them to Achieve SUCCESS in your course!

Bring the Outside In! • 4.)Fast Paced, Mega Tasking! – Round two learning (doing)- Turn that knowledge of how to use the tools for FUN, into a Business Scenario. Students have their toolbox of skills ready! Let them pick the tool! • Invite a local business from the outside, inside the classroom. • Create a real outside world scenario for students to converge their inside classroom knowledge with the outside world.

Bring the Outside In! – Some Example Scenario Tasks: • Research, then Flowchart the steps involved in making a successful Grand Opening Event. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/make-successful-grand-opening-event- 19258.html • Determine needed Communication, then Design and Build a webpage for a Grand Opening Event. • Determine Requirements, then create a basic Project Scope, and Budget for the caterer of the Grand Opening Event. • Obtain list of Customers, and create Grand Opening flyer inviting customers to the event. Get the flyer to the customers!

Bring the Outside In! We are not just learning how to use these tools, we are learning WHEN, WHY to use them in a collaborative, technology driven, mega tasking environment– as we Manage a Business. SUCESSFUL MERGE of the Outside with the Inside!

BRING THE OUTSIDE IN? Results of…

Bring the Outside In! • Results – (running two sections of this course Fall 2013): • All students passed this course! • No drops for lack of Attendance. • No sleeping in class. • No time for boredom to set in (student or instructor). (I had hoped for these results as I designed the course)

Bring the Outside In! • Results, beyond my Expectations: • I really got to know my students and understand their career goals. • This class was fun for me to be a part of, not just instructing. • Students with learning disabilities found the flipped model helpful, because information could be repeated as many times as needed. • I watched my own videos as a way to “prep” for class! LOL! • I was so excited about this course, I submitted a proposal to speak at the Cengage Conference...